Today’s Holy See Press Office Bulletin tells us that Pope Francis received a thousand German Lutherans in audience at the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican:
The Holy Father described this as a “beautiful initiative” and thanked the bishops who supported and accompanied the pilgrims.
“Let us give thanks to God”, he said, “because today, as Lutherans and Catholics, we are journeying together on the way from conflict to communion. We have already travelled an important part of the road. Along the path we feel contrasting sentiments: pain for the division that still exists between us, but also joy at the fraternity we have already rediscovered. Your presence, so numerous and enthusiastic, is a clear sign of this fraternity, and it fills us with the hope that mutual understanding may continue to grow”.
“The apostle Paul tells us that, by virtue of our baptism, we all form the single Body of Christ. The various members, in fact, form one body. Therefore, we belong to each other and when one suffers, all suffer; when one rejoices, we all rejoice. We can continue trustfully on our ecumenical path, because we know that despite the many issues that still separate us, we are already united. What unites us is far greater than what divides us”, the Holy Father emphasised, noting that at the end of the month he will travel to Lund in Sweden to commemorate, along with the World Lutheran Federation, the five hundredth anniversary of the Reformation, and to give thanks to God for the official dialogue between Lutherans and Catholics.
“An essential part of this commemoration”, he observed, “will consist of turning our gaze towards the future, with a view to a common Christian witness to today’s world, that thirsts so greatly for God and His mercy. The witness that the world expects of us is above that of rendering visible the mercy God has towards us, through service to the poorest, to the sick, to those who have abandoned their homelands to seek a better future for themselves and for their loved ones. In placing ourselves at the service of those most in need we experience that we are already united: it is God’s mercy that unites us”.
The very idea that the Catholic Church is “commemorating” the 500th anniversary of the “Reformation” is astonishing. It is no surprise that Pope Francis chooses to focus on the shared pursuit of corporal works of Mercy since the doctrinal differences that separate us are still incredibly profound. Consider how forcefully Luther’s revolt was condemned by Pope Leo X in his June 15, 1520 bull, Exurge Domine:
No one of sound mind is ignorant how destructive, pernicious, scandalous, and seductive to pious and simple minds these various errors are, how opposed they are to all charity and reverence for the holy Roman Church who is the mother of all the faithful and teacher of the faith; how destructive they are of the vigor of ecclesiastical discipline, namely obedience. This virtue is the font and origin of all virtues and without it anyone is readily convicted of being unfaithful.
Therefore we, in this above enumeration, important as it is, wish to proceed with great care as is proper, and to cut off the advance of this plague and cancerous disease so it will not spread any further in the Lord’s field as harmful thorn-bushes. We have therefore held a careful inquiry, scrutiny, discussion, strict examination, and mature deliberation with each of the brothers, the eminent cardinals of the holy Roman Church, as well as the priors and ministers general of the religious orders, besides many other professors and masters skilled in sacred theology and in civil and canon law. We have found that these errors or theses are not Catholic, as mentioned above, and are not to be taught, as such; but rather are against the doctrine and tradition of the Catholic Church, and against the true interpretation of the sacred Scriptures received from the Church.
[…]
With the advice and consent of these our venerable brothers, with mature deliberation on each and every one of the above theses, and by the authority of almighty God, the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and our own authority, we condemn, reprobate, and reject completely each of these theses or errors as either heretical, scandalous, false, offensive to pious ears or seductive of simple minds, and against Catholic truth. By listing them, we decree and declare that all the faithful of both sexes must regard them as condemned, reprobated, and rejected….We restrain all in the virtue of holy obedience and under the penalty of an automatic major excommunication….
Moreover, because the preceding errors and many others are contained in the books or writings of Martin Luther, we likewise condemn, reprobate, and reject completely the books and all the writings and sermons of the said Martin, whether in Latin or any other language, containing the said errors or any one of them; and we wish them to be regarded as utterly condemned, reprobated, and rejected. We forbid each and every one of the faithful of either sex, in virtue of holy obedience and under the above penalties to be incurred automatically, to read, assert, preach, praise, print, publish, or defend them. They will incur these penalties if they presume to uphold them in any way, personally or through another or others, directly or indirectly, tacitly or explicitly, publicly or occultly, either in their own homes or in other public or private places.
One cannot help but wonder, therefore, how what Francis states could be true: “What unites us is far greater than what divides us”.
Further, while Francis speaks — as he always does — of mercy, it is not as though Pope Leo lacked compassion; the sadness he had over Martin Luther’s rebuffs of papal clemency clearly troubled him deeply:
As far as Martin himself is concerned, O good God, what have we overlooked or not done? What fatherly charity have we omitted that we might call him back from such errors? For after we had cited him, wishing to deal more kindly with him, we urged him through various conferences with our legate and through our personal letters to abandon these errors. We have even offered him safe conduct and the money necessary for the journey urging him to come without fear or any misgivings, which perfect charity should cast out, and to talk not secretly but openly and face to face after the example of our Savior and the Apostle Paul. If he had done this, we are certain he would have changed in heart, and he would have recognized his errors. He would not have found all these errors in the Roman Curia which he attacks so viciously, ascribing to it more than he should because of the empty rumors of wicked men. We would have shown him clearer than the light of day that the Roman pontiffs, our predecessors, whom he injuriously attacks beyond all decency, never erred in their canons or constitutions which he tries to assail. For, according to the prophet, neither is healing oil nor the doctor lacking in Galaad.
The fact is, Luther did not repent. He never, as Leo ardently hoped, found it within himself to “abstain from his pernicious errors that he may come back to us”.
In modern terms, a commemoration is not typically a somber affair, but a celebration. What is the basis of this unity we hear so much about? Have the Lutherans repented of the five hundred year old schism their namesake fomented within the Church? Have they rejected the 41 errors laid out in Exurge Domine? Have they submitted to the Roman Pontiff, which is necessary for salvation?
We have heard, in recent years, an abandonment by top Catholic prelates of the idea of an “ecumenism of return” — that is to say, an ecumenism that seeks to reconcile other Christian sects with the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church by bringing them home into the fullness of faith. We have seen gestures — such as Francis strongly suggesting that Lutherans can, if their conscience allows it, receive Holy Communion in a Catholic Church — that defy the centuries-old proscriptions against the appearance of false unity with those who hold to Christian heresy, and the Eucharistic profanation that would result.
The message of Francis in October of 2016 flies in the face of the admonitions found in Mortalium Animos, the 1928 encyclical of Pope Pius XI on the topic of “religious unity.” Compare the statements yourself. Francis said to the Lutherans gathered in Rome today:
While theologians continue their dialogue in the doctrinal sphere, continue insistently to seek opportunities to meet each other, to get to know each other better, to pray together and to offer your help to each other and to all those who are in need. In this way, freed of every prejudice and trusting only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that announces peace and reconciliation, you will be true protagonists of a new season in this journey that, with God’s help, will lead to full communion. I assure you of my prayer, and ask you, please to, pray for me, as I am in need.
But Pope Pius made clear the error of this thinking when he wrote:
[M]any non-Catholics may be found who loudly preach fraternal communion in Christ Jesus, yet you will find none at all to whom it ever occurs to submit to and obey the Vicar of Jesus Christ either in His capacity as a teacher or as a governor. Meanwhile they affirm that they would willingly treat with the Church of Rome, but on equal terms, that is as equals with an equal: but even if they could so act, it does not seem open to doubt that any pact into which they might enter would not compel them to turn from those opinions which are still the reason why they err and stray from the one fold of Christ.
8. This being so, it is clear that the Apostolic See cannot on any terms take part in their assemblies, nor is it anyway lawful for Catholics either to support or to work for such enterprises; for if they do so they will be giving countenance to a false Christianity, quite alien to the one Church of Christ. Shall We suffer, what would indeed be iniquitous, the truth, and a truth divinely revealed, to be made a subject for compromise? For here there is question of defending revealed truth. Jesus Christ sent His Apostles into the whole world in order that they might permeate all nations with the Gospel faith, and, lest they should err, He willed beforehand that they should be taught by the Holy Ghost:[15] has then this doctrine of the Apostles completely vanished away, or sometimes been obscured, in the Church, whose ruler and defense is God Himself?
If our Redeemer plainly said that His Gospel was to continue not only during the times of the Apostles, but also till future ages, is it possible that the object of faith should in the process of time become so obscure and uncertain, that it would be necessary to-day to tolerate opinions which are even incompatible one with another?
The schizophrenia of the post-conciliar Church continues to intensify at a fever pitch. What once was true cannot now be condemned as false, or explained away by phrases like “historical context”. Francis has set himself against his illustrious predecessors in his commitment to religious indifferentism, and it will not stand. Either they were right then, or he is now. Their views are simply incompatible.
We are certainly not “journeying together,” for the paths to salvation between ourselves and other Christian sects seriously diverge. The only course of unity for Catholics and Lutherans is through the repudiation of Lutheran error, the conversion of those who hold to this revolutionary creed, and the restoration of oneness within the One True Faith. Anything less only endangers souls — a terrifyingly common theme in this pontificate.
Let us pray for the true unity of all Christians “in the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church”.
This Pope is in dangerous waters. Pleas God help us against this evil that is pervaded our church.
There are all sorts of Lutherans and the ones I know have no desire to be not only in communion with each other but with Catholics.
Francis must realize if Luther was alive today, he’d call him the Antichrist.
I don’t think Luther would appreciate a statue of him in proximity to a pope.
#NeverLuther
Reading those quotes from the pre-Vatican II Popes, you would think some form of traumatic event has caused a total loss of memory in the Catholic Church’s leadership. In much the same way that a human being loses memory after a traumatic brain injury, it seems the Church has suffered amnesia herself, and I fear the traumatic event was …. Vatican II.
It is not possible to deny that this man is guilty of indifferentism. Not. Possible.
“Go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be condemned,” said Jesus Christ.
“It’s not right to convince someone of your faith,” said Jorge Bergoglio, His alleged Vicar.
He’s not the Vicar of Christ. He is the Vicar of Soros!
Exactly. How convenient his instructing Christians to “welcome the immigrant” just as Soros is fulfilling his diabolical plan against Christians by filling up our nations with Muslims. How delightfully well this all worked out for him. He has his puppet.
How hard is it for one Bishop to publically declare him a heretic? I am so sick of bishops and lay leaders acting as if this Pope is Catholic and as if there is nothing to be concerned about. Liars! Cowards!
I continue to be amazed that as Pope Francis’ wrecking job continues, God continues to instruct and take care of his children [and at the same time convicting those in error] via very apt readings on or about Pope Francis’ erroneous works and words:
(My emphasis)
Stupid pope does not believe in the one true faith and has no zeal for souls …. Sooooooo … is the pope Catholic? >>>NOPE!
As Hilary White says, “The Missouri Synod Lutherans are more Catholic than the Pope.”
I read that article. Out of curiosity I attended a Lutheran Missouri Synod service…The pastor was out of town, but the Deacon presiding did a pretty devout service…Ad Orientem, standing for the Gospel reading…Best of all – No Sign of Peace. Still, it seemed barren.
No Real Presence
Catholic Family News just published an open letter to the Pope written by Michael Matt and 2 others, everyone should read it.
This is really just so very silly. I am sorry, but I just can’t take anything from this pope as serious.
He is not a “Rock”. for the faith.
What is true and real.
*
Never understood why some people go for appearances, the shadows, and love pretences and smoke and mirrors, when the actual true and real thing they ought to be doing is within reach. One comes to understand a bit by meditating on what’s said of the devil, ‘that he knew all virtue and the manner of it but he refused to practice it.’ No wonder he is such a deceiver and we can see how some in the highest echelons of the Church have fallen for the deceit.
Every time I read stuff like this I am reminded of La Salette – Rome will lose the faith and become the seat of the antichrist.
Are there any faithful Catholics that listen to this windbag anymore? I’m struggling to avoid being uncharitable. Windbag is a compromise with my conscience.
There literally is no incentive for a Protestant to convert to the Church with this reprobate. I’ve come to realize that his only target audience are those outside the Church–of which he wants to affirm where they are, like the Anglican “bishop” that wanted to convert and Francis convinced otherwise. That poor man’s blood is on his hands.
The only ones who actually listen to him these days are the so-called “Catholics” who are thrilled to have a pope who—at last—gives tacit permission for them to pick and choose just what parts of the Faith they choose to observe (if any). Those who actually know what the Church teaches and try to live the Faith have been so verbally abused and beaten down by Francis that they simply are indifferent to him at this point.
I don’t listen to him
Sadly, I close my ears to what he has to say. He confuses and tempts what it is not good!
There are fewer and fewer prelates I trust these days as well.
Their silence stings.
Martin Luther on the Dignity and Majesty of God
“I look upon God no better than a scoundrel” (ref. Weimar, Vol. 1, Pg. 487. Cf. Table Talk, No. 963).
“Christ committed adultery first of all with the women at the well about whom St. John tell’s us. Was not everybody about Him saying: ‘Whatever has He been doing with her?’ Secondly, with Mary Magdalen, and thirdly with the women taken in adultery whom He dismissed so lightly. Thus even, Christ who was so righteous, must have been guilty of fornication before He died.” (ref. Trishreden, Weimer Edition, Vol. 2, Pg. 107. – What a great blasphemy from a man who is regarded as “great reformer”!).
“I have greater confidence in my wife and my pupils than I have in Christ” (ref. Table Talk, 2397b).
“It does not matter how Christ behaved – what He taught is all that matters” (ref. Erlangen Vol. 29, Pg. 126). http://www.davidlgray.info/blog/2013/09/500-years-of-protestantism-the-33-most-ridiculous-things-martin-luther-ever-wrote/
Ah! Protestantism is One Step close to Atheism/Agnosticism.
The nub of the matter is that PF most likely agrees with him. Let’s accept the fact that our leadership is NOT Catholic. It is Marxist/Masonic/Modernism that drives our entire Hierarchy to support this Pope. They elected him for the purpose of undermining the CC & he is doing a fine job for them. There is no-one to stand up for Christ & no-one capable of taking over the reins & restoring the CC when PF kicks the bucket. I cannot buy the ploy that conservative members of the Hierarchy are staying quiet because they know something we don’t & that is the best way to play out this pogrom. They are infected themselves & are NOT willing to rock the barque of Peter. We need to face facts – we are on our own!
Oh there is hope out there. We are not on our own, though it seems like it. Christ has not abandoned us, and so His Church, including the hierarchy, has not failed. We’ve been through this before. It was called the Arian heresy. The entirety of the episcopacy almost to a man was a heretic. While we don’t hear the loud calls from the rooftop denouncing this, there are bishops resisting it. The places I know of are Poland, Africa, and Kazakhstan. Yes, modernism has a foothold there, even in the bishop’s, but the faithfulness is stronger. Don’t give up on the Church. She’s indefectable.
Since writing my above post I have read on another site where Cardinal Antonelli of Florence has issued a manual for confessors who want to remain faithful to the perennial doctrine of the Church. Maybe this will encourage more Cardinals & Bishops to become more vocal in upholding the Magisterium of the CC.
Whilst I have no intention of leaving the CC I do wish the entire leadership would. We live in a virtual wilderness in my part of the world with NO Bishops barricading us & themselves in the aftermath of Vatican II, which will have to be rescinded. I can see no hope in the present set-up for this happening, so I constantly pray for a miracle to give us the Consecration of Russia & the revealing in full of the Third Secret of Fatima. I feel our post Vatican II Popes & Hierarchies snub to Our Lady in not carrying out Her wishes has everything to do with the past 60 years of this interminable situation.
“Leadership leaving the CC.”
I continue to struggle with exactly where the “red” line is regarding Sedevacantism. With every passing day, I cannot help but think that the SSPX has been right all along, except that they reject crossing the line. My question is: Where is that line?
IMO Sedevacantism has nothing to offer. They have left Christ, even though they would argue endlessly the opposite. I believe that Jesus Christ has NOT left His Church as He promised to be with us until the end of time. As God He cannot renege (like we can & do) on His Word. Please refer to Fr. Nix on ‘Birth Pains of the Church’ & his answer directly from God Himself. Also, Our Blesssed Lady never urged us to leave Rome, even though She forecast Rome would lose the faith. God Himself said those who would persevere would be saved. And just to be a thorn in their side I wouldn’t dream of leaving even though we have only NO Churches here.
Fear not, Ana, I am not leaving the CC! I am just asking the questions given the current state of affairs. I have not left Rome, Rome has left me. I hope and pray the diabolical disorientation ends soon.
Put like that, Rome has left everyone. Did anyone ever think we’d witness such events? Everything was so orderly (on the surface anyway) until Vatican II, then suddenly all went bottoms-up & disaster followed. For those who didn’t know what the CC was like prior to VII it is difficult for them to understand why we oldies are so disturbed about what has been lost but hopefully at some future stage this whole nightmare will be ended & the Bride of Christ fully restored.
It will be interesting to learn what they are proposing to the SSPX whom PF has described as fully Catholic while at the same time he is praising Luther whose statue gets pride of place before Our Lady of Fatima on an important anniversary. It would be a travesty if he got to go to Fatima next May for the centenary celebrations instead of a Pope that would fully represent us all. I pray it will be God’s Will he’ll be gone by then.
I read online last night (forgot which website) that Bishop Fellay had some remarks about the whole “offer” and the overall situation in the Church. His remarks seemed to indicate that he will not accept any offers from Bergoglio to “regularize” the SSPX’s canonical status.
That is good news as I feel it would be imprudent to accept cannonical status at the present time & from the present incumbent.
There can’t be an empty chair. Even if his election or installment was invalid, Benedict claims to retain the papal charism. There is a pope to be certain.
4 Cardinals [not counting Jānis Cardinal Pujats, Archbishop Emeritus of Riga, one of 3 cardinals signing the Declaration of Fidelity to the Church’s Unchangeable Teaching on Marriage and to Her Uninterrupted Discipline] now not interpreting Amoris Laetitia in line with Pope Francis, the latest Ennio Cardinal Antonelli, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for the Family in full agreement with the local archbishop Giuseppe Cardinal Betori, Archbishop of Firenze {Florence} – https://thewarourtime.com/2016/07/14/pro-domine-et-ecclesia-et-pontifice-contra-amorislaetitia-petitions-to-the-pope-to-all-catholic-bishops/
I suppose four Cardinals is a start but we really need a cavalcade in order to show strong opposition. They are so intransigent in the Vatican & beyond that they feel they can ignore not only the public but Bishops & priests as well. The few that have stood out have already been punished, some severely it has been reported. Earlier to-day Fr. Rosica stated that many of the signatories of ‘that letter’ written by thirteen Cardinals attending the Synod on the Family have distanced themselves from it. I have requested him to name those signatories, as otherwise making such a statement while not being in a position to uphold it will put him in a difficult situation. I await his response.
I find it inconceivable that NOT ONE has done anything. There’s a few who speak to This but not one goes to the next step. There’s the Bergoglio demoted guy in Austria (I think) there’s Schneider and one guesses Burke gets it. A few others (poles, Hungarians and Africans come to mind among others) … But I comprehend only purely earthly motives to stop there, only saying something vaguely critical. And I don’t think that ALL of this very select group is enslaved to earthly motives.
It stands to reason that they are dissuaded by other means, and whether from above or below, that stuff is only possible with God’s willing it.
A good number of the apostles were expert sailors, one supposes. The storm on the sea was one that was outside of their navigation experience and when the woke him, Christ rebuked them FIRST, before the storm.
Thank you! I was looking for this recently.
I wonder if Bergoglio will try to get that into a new catechism.
This is another of freemason Bergoglio’s visible sacrileges and affronts to the Church he hates.
I shudder to think what the guy gets up to with his masonic buddies when he has the run of the Vatican at night…
Well we know he puts on light shows…
It is now very evident that
freemason Bergoglio[I have no evidence that he is] Pope Francis [it is becoming clear he is under their influence, and even under the influence of something even more nefarious] holds Catholics and the Church in disdain and that’s putting it mildly. It appears he hates them as you commented.And not in just a word here or an insult there. There’s a definite pattern. The Catholics he doesn’t speak ill of are the ones the ones who’s salvation seems most in peril – including heretical schismatics like Lutherans and even the mahound.
google image “right hand hidden”. that is Bergoglio screaming to his fellow masons. plus the indifferentism and attacks on trad Catholics.
Seen those and also freemasons of Italy and Argentina expressing joy at his election, etc. All the signs are there but those don’t count as concrete evidence.
that’s the thing about secret societies, they’re secret.
Accommodation with Luther is one more misguided step on the road to perdition for Pope Francis and all who follow him.
Bing for EMMA BONINO POPE FRANCIS. All you need to know.
the Iconoclasts made a statue of their favorite heretic…? Im confused
Whether they love or hate the Church, no sane person likes it when the Pope doesn’t sound like a Pope.
Precisely.
Even beyond Church circles people are disturbed that the Pope doesn’t sound like a Pope. I am embarrased for Pope Francis.
Exactly
Make Protestants Catholic Again
The many SINS of JORGE: Immoral Sex Ed program, Heretical Amoris Laetitia (a.k.a The Joy of Sexual Adultery), promoting prelates into key positions who promote homosexual sins right out in the open, putting down the Sacrament of marriage and praising people LIVING IN SIN for their commitment, and now this Luther celebration.
I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT WE CAN’T REMOVE THE VICAR OF SOROS! The Freak Show is out right attacking the Church, he is just a freakin’ man.
Why can’t we force him out? Jorge is a freakin’ Heretic!
In his misbegotten reference to theologians
who seek to clarify and affirm the church’s infallible teachings in the “doctrinal sphere”, PF reveals his arrogant approach to Catholic dogmas. That the pastoral, or more accurately, the psychological, trumps the ontological every time.
I can only wonder if this misguided man was ever taught as a child or in the seminary the church’s doctrine of Original Sin. Our souls, intellects and wills are “objectively disordered” by the sin of pride. Adam and Eve’s cataclysmic sin that resulted in the loss of Sanctifying Grace for them and we their descendents.
His unquestioned assumption that his inspirations, his rejection of “doctors of the law”, and his promulgation of “mercy” without justice, are from the “Holy Spirit” reveals the depths of his arrogant Protestant soul.
There is no humility in this man’s soul. I never thought I would see the day when I would write these words. And it doesn’t stop with just him. He stands on the shoulders of Vat ll popes, starting with Pope John XXlll. Their foolish hopes and optimism tells me they too forgot that the human race is crippled by OS, and only Christ can free us.
It does not cause me to despair because Sanctifying Grace bears me up. I see the potential for greatness, and the potential for betrayal of Christ and His church in my own lowly soul as well as the souls of great intellectuals like Pope JPIl and Pope BXVl.
It’s a Christian paradox. The more I’m humbled, the more I love the ONE who humbles me. The more I’m brought low, the stronger I become. The more I’m willing to accept truths that otherwise would be unthinkable.
The problem I have with Sedevacantists is that they don’t really understand the depths, the capacity, we all have, to be deluded, to be led astray from Christ and still be convinced of our rectitude. I stated emphatically in a recent post that I can no longer deny that Francis is an apostate. If he dies without repenting, his soul will be damned. So there is no possibility that he has no mortal sin in His soul. But does he INTEND to destroy the church. I doubt it. He’s demonically deluded.
Not sure about your last sentence. If he doesn’t intend to wreck the CC then those who put him there do – the majority of the Hierarchy. They all are demonically disposed as they are carrying out Satan’s wishes, even the silent ones. I doubt that many believe in an afterlife and PF couldn’t as he doesn’t believe in Hell or obviously SIN, so Luther to him is akin to a prophet. They are all careerists with a very few notable exceptions, but those exceptions are not coming forward to denounce the heresies & blasphemies of the present incumbent.
I agree with most of what you claim, But the concept “intends” needs fleshing out.
Our discussion hinges on PF’s motives. Does he INTEND to destroy the Catholic Church? Does he consciously, deliberately want to destroy the church? Is that his long term goal? Is that the goal, the challenge, he has set for himself? If so, then his will must conform to the intellectual idea he holds. If true, then he hates the church and wills to destroy her. But this is where the “fun” starts for devout Catholics. How do we discern what his true intentions are, without jumping the gun, in view of the outrages from this man that just keep coming week after week?
There are only three possibilities regarding PF, since I’m ruling out any possibility of his innocence. That he consciously and deliberately plans to destroy the church, and His will conforms to his intellect. And he does what Satan is NOT obliged to do, he justifies his evil deed. That it’s for a higher good. He wants a church of “mercy”. Or, that he plans to destroy the church and His will conforms. However, he hides the truth from himself, lies to himself and believes in his own innocence, even though he secretly thinks the world will be a better place without the church. Lastly, he does not (in his own mind)really want to destroy the church, he wants to update, get rid of some rigid doctrines, show more mercy, and his will conforms to his intellect. He is still doing great harm to the church but his gargantuan pride blinds him to this sad truth. I still hold to this third possibility even though I’m convinced that he is evil. Intention is very hard to see clearly(even our own intentions can be difficult to discern), because, unlike Satan, our intentions are not pure. Francis can be guilty of any one of the three possibilities I listed, but how are we to know, short of a formal declaration from him. The list of his outrages over the last three years are in the thousands according to Christopher Ferrara, but his spiritual soul is hidden from our mortal senses. It’s guaranteed that we are compelled to justify ourselves. We rationaize, deny, evade, pretend in myriad ways in order to satisfy our self-centred pride. I see it in myself. Even the smallest things. Even if I stop myself, I still justify myself mentally. It’s just that I’ve been given sufficient graces to see my own soul in action, so to speak.
So, our motives, desires, drives operate at different levels in our minds and souls. They spring from our concupiscent natures, are influenced by the strength or weakness of our Christian faith, education, and destructive ideologies, feminism, so called rights, modernism, the infiltration of Marxist ideals, the Masonic and so-called gay rights. There are individuals like Jorge Bergoglio who are, in my opinion, very difficult to see what’s in their hearts. I mean that strictly in the sense that I don’t know if his real INTENT, that is his WILL intends to destroy the church in light of my overall comment. The unity of our intellects, wills, our Christian faith, and the many social forces that shape us psychologically and spiritually determine sufficient knowledge, and degree of our will’s consent. The serious matter we take for granted. I think I’ve made clear, that in no way am I trying to excuse this pernicious man.
Two politicians come to mind. Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. Is there any doubt that they INTEND to destroy the Catholic Church? I’m inclined to put them in my second possibility. But then I think both of them were mentored by Saul Alinsky who made no bones about his intentions. So maybe it’s my first option. Whichever it is they do not have a pure intention to commit evil, since unlike Satan, their image of God souls compells them to justify themselves, that they act for the good of society, as they define good. Translation – Global government. Christianity abolished.
To explain my own understanding and position I hold regarding this incredibly arrogant man, I’ll compare the supernatural with the natural – Satan with human beings “objectively disordered” by Original Sin.
The devil is a pure spirit, pure intellect and pure will. Outside of space and time, He doesn’t have linear thoughts, doesn’t reflect, doesn’t will something and struggle to achieve the object of his will. That’s the lot of humanity since the disobedience of our First Parents. Satan desires knowledge or desires to act, both become real in an instant. Of course, the same is true of the angels who love God as well as the glorified saints, except they are a “little lower than the angels”. Satan’s will is fixed forever in malice against God his creator.
The other spiritual reality that separates him from us is that Satan cannot deceive himself. His INTENTIONS are pure. Pure hatred. Satan’s hatred of Christ and the destruction of the Catholic Church are ENDS in and of themselves. He does not lie to himself or convince himself that he desires to achieve a higher goal. For us, however, since we are wounded by OS, our intellects and wills have lost their original integrity, and one of the bitter fruits of that loss is that our intellects lie and our wills are inclined to evil because pride reigns in our souls. We are self-centred, whereas before they sinned Adam and Eve were wholly God -centred. Our fallen predicament, however, makes it doubly difficult to discern true INTENT and motives.
The other possibility that damns PF independent of the above third possibility is his colossal irresponsibility. That he acts on his ideals, inspirations, convictions without any attempt to understand what the church actually teaches regarding morals, marriage, Protestantism, non-Christian religions, et al. For me this is one of the most hair-raising things about his 3+years as head of the church. This is the most damning. For sure, this is Protestant “private judgement”. Not only that but he dismisses the authoritative church as of little consequence.
Thought provoking.
A lot of the errors these days all center around the rejection of extra Ecclesiam nulla salus.
A mockery of saints and martyrs on the eve of All Saints Day – more prayers are needed
This stuff achieves a breathtaking degree of human absurdity and buffoonery – but in the invisible, it must be even more extremely catastrophic and terrifying to behold.
Well it is news to me that they could even still find a thousand Lutherans in Germany.
Lol. Poor Bergoglio might be the best Lutheran in the bunch.
He said we are made “one body” by baptism– this is a heresy. Their baptism is valid, but graceless (it doesn’t join them to the “body”, I.e., the Catholic Church) after the age of reason, unless they are in true invincible ignorance. It is a heresy to say Protestant sects are parts of the true Church alongside of the Catholic Church.
“The apostle Paul tells us that, by virtue of our baptism, we all form the single Body of Christ.”
Protestantism didn’t exist in St. Paul’s day so that quotation is erroneous, like everything else he spouts.
I am certain that a prophet doesn’t have to understand or even comprehend the future context of the prophesy he speaks.
“Why Pope Francis Is A False-Prophet” @traditionalcatholicpriest.com
I’m increasingly concerned, based on thinking about it today, that he’s something worse. I think that a not-unreasonable case can be made that Benedict is who ushered him in, even fulfilling some odds and ends in the process. Elevating himself to unremovable second pope for example. Following that, Bergoglio is more than a false prophet, more (worse) than even THE false prophet.
It is beginning to look like they are carrying out a plan that they have been hatching for a very long time & which is now coming to fruition. What is worse, IMO, is the fact that not one of the Cardinals has denounced this demonic papacy which leaves one with the impression they must all be tarred with the same brush. Cardinal Burke said he would resist but so far we have had no sign of this. Neither anything from the other 13 Cardinals who signed ‘that letter’. Just what are they waiting for? What is the point of having a School of Cardinals if they have no authority to call out an apostate pope, one btw they elected to that position? He has become an autocrat instead of a beacon to his people.
And what I mean, for example about prophesy not needing to be understood by the prophet is connected to an idea related to protestantism very directly.
My pet example using secondary meaning of prophesy: In Revelation, John names the number and name of the beast. Now John had no idea that his gospel would be written, printed, and made uniform in chapters and verses. Yet it seems plain that at least in an anagogic sense, the beast is very present in every way in John’s Gospel 6:66 – where it is also easy to fit Luther and his progeny (all protestantism) into the mold of those who turn from the True Eucharist as do those in John 6:66.
Anyhow, John probably couldn’t have imagined Luther, much less the numbering system applied to his words. Yet there it is… It fits. 666 may mean other things more important or specific than this, but it seems a bit too coincidental. And mostly, John had absolutely no way of even conceiving that what he wrote in what we call John 6:66 would be in any way associated literally with the particular number. Yet it is prophetic.
Skojec, why didn’t you also call him out for saying Protestant “churches” also are in “one body” of Christ alongside the Catholic Church? When the Catholic Church alone is the one body, and not only baptism, but “divine and Catholic faith” is necessary to be a member (something only Catholics possess)? This is more than just indifferentism, in effect it is saying that the Body of Christ is composed of all sects plus the Catholic Church put together, as if valid baptism joins one above the age of reason to the Church EVEN IF THEY POSE AN OBSTACLE, THAT IS, HERESY. The Church has always taught that heresy severs one’s soul from the Church. As the Baltimore Catechism stated, “If one were to deny even one article of the Faith, for that reason alone they could not be called Catholic.”
This quote seemed big to me – “What unites us is far greater than what divides us” where I think stepping back, what truly divides is transubstantiation, which they deny… What’s bigger than that? Plus, the Gulf is double because whatever they do can’t possibly be valid.
The USCCB did not see fit to include any edition of the Baltimore Catechism on its list of approved texts for parish based religious education programs.
I just realized that the camel’s nose of Lutheranism got in before Bergoglio – maybe: The Lutheran /protestant idea of “once saved always saved” is echoed in Ratzinger saying “once pope always pope.”
I’m wondering if that in itself doesn’t elevate man too high.
And further(more wild speculation by me on a prior idea) isn’t that a case of man putting himself on par with God to decide that? And through the lens of Daniel, wouldn’t the next step be setting up the abomination of desolation in the holy place?
And isn’t there someone that seems like an abomination and doesn’t he seem to bring desolation?
Is there a clear reason that this is invalid? I’m not being clever. I really mean this as a question.
Let us be clear about this. Protestantism is a heresy and Protestants are heretics. They can be nice people or nasty people but they are heretics and this should be made clear by Catholics, for instance to the thousand German Lutheran in the Vatican – but very nicely of course.
Protestantism has done profound damage to Christ’s Church, probably more than even the Islamic heretical agglomeration has done.
The world does not thirst for God’s mercy for the simple reason that the world has been allowed by the Catholic Church to forget it exists.
Isn’t it interesting how red and roasted Luther is looking.
Would someone please give us the real Martin Luther? The Martin Luther who hated God’s creation; the Martin Luther who hated the Church; the Martin Luther who was rejected by his own followers due to his life of debauchery; the Martin Luther who hated the common folk taking his ideas literally; the Martin Luther who started a false religion; the Martin Luther who unleashed the principles behind the culture of death: would someone please put it out there? And while this service is being performed could a little letter be quietly sent to a certain gentleman to tell him that he is either mad, bad, or sad-ly wrong with regards to the ‘celebrations’ of Luther.
“One cannot help but wonder, therefore, how what Francis states could be true: “What unites us is far greater than what divides us”
Easy. Holy Mass has been so deformed that it looks the same as a Lutheran Mass, many Catholics don’t believe in confession, the Real Presence and the permanence of marriage, so um, yeah, Catholic and Protestant religions in practice look the same from the cheap seats
If you haven’t read the document from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Unity entitled “From Conflict to Unity” issued in 2013 and the “Common Prayer” to be read during the coming celebration of the arch-heretic, Luther, I suggest you do in preparation for it. This document is the most Satanically deceitful document from the Vatican yet, in my opinion. This interreligious prayer and worship service is another blasphemous, sacrilegious anti-Christ act of the demonic-inspired hierarchy who took control of the Church.
The Lutheran World Federation posted this prayer on their website as I’m sure the Vatican did as well. Here is the link to the prayer from the Lutherans:
https://www.lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/dtpw-lrc-liturgy-2016_en.pdf
Actually it all makes sense. At the end of the day, Bergoglio and Luther have a lot in common.
-both arrogantly decided to “reform” the Church in their own image
-both teach a perversion of God’s mercy, wherein there is no need for man to repent
-both are blasphemers
-both try to destroy the sacraments
and last but not least
-both truly and utterly despise the Office of Peter
The Catholic Church has been afflicted by many profound disasters in its 2000 year history and we all have opinions of this.
My own opinion is that Islam apart, and that is another story in a way, Protestantism is the worst disaster to afflict us Catholics .
This really ought to be said, to be shouted from the roof-tops by all Catholics, however much we know lots of nice Protestants, as I do.
Time and again on these matters I come back to one, simple question: why, oh why, does this “ecumenical” dialogue never seem to include the Roman Church wanting to know what elements of Catholicism these denominations are willing to investigate and re-embrace toward Christian unity. Show me one place where this has been anything other than a one-way street on which Rome gives away, while obtaining virtually no more interest from Protestants than existed before various agreements or conciliar changes were initiated. The only way forward at this point, if there is to be one, is for Protestants to examine their doctrines; what are they willing to admit error on – there cannot continually be this sense that Rome is wrong. Worse, we now find ourselves worried that Rome is in fact hastening the mood of this being that same one-way street I just referenced.